Billionaire Blaze, page 2
With each successive hug, I relaxed a little more, grateful that they all seemed so pleased to see me.
Jack wrapped his arm around Juno and shifted to the side, with her blocking any hope I had of retreat.
“Let me introduce you to everyone you haven’t met yet,” Jack said, although a quick glance showed me that most of the remaining people were the rest of the band.
My eyes locked with another familiar face, however. They widened as I recognized him. It was the guy from the airport who had tripped me up and then walked off without even noticing.
“This is Lukas. He’s a good friend of mine. Builds houses for the most part. Just got here as well.” Jack motioned toward him.
“I believe we were on the same flight.” Lukas stood and reached out his hand to shake mine.
“Kit here does interior design. You two should talk sometime over the week.” Juno smiled before she made her way to the kitchen.
I gulped, aware again of how sweaty my hands were, but I could barely wipe them before I needed to be polite.
Thankfully, Juno cutting across bought me a little time, but not much. As soon as Lukas had shaken my hand, he went back to his seat and left me standing, half in the room and not sure what to do now.
CHAPTER THREE
Lukas
As I looked around the room, I felt a tightening in my gut. I was fond of Jack, and I’d come to his whole wedding thing as a way of saying thank you and making sure he knew I appreciated everything he had done for me, but I barely knew anyone else. The rest seemed to all be comfortable with each other.
At least until Juno’s friend came in. She seemed as out of place as I did and was hiding it about as well. The band tried to be nice to her, as they had me, and make her feel welcome, but some friendships were just easier on people.
The band had been together a long time. There were no egos and nothing difficult to dance around.
I, on the other hand, was the boring architect who made pretty houses and could talk in brief terms about it, but too much of it easily bored people. And I hadn’t become as successful as I was without being able to read a room and know that I was boring people when I spoke.
Thankfully, the conversation was light, and no one seemed to mind if I sat on one edge of the room and listened. People were generally having a good time, talking about whatever the room wanted and relaxing with some drinks and snacks.
Kit seemed to realize this was the general idea and found herself a seat at the side of the room as well. Juno brought her a drink without asking, knowing what she usually drank.
It made me smile. They were clearly good friends. It had been a long time since I had been fortunate to have anyone in my world who paid that much attention.
Even when I paid a PA to aid me, they rarely had the level of attention to detail I needed.
Despite being more comfortable talking to Jack, when he walked away, I found my gaze drawn to Kit time and time again. Juno drew her into the conversation, and the politeness of everyone else kept her involved on some level.
It allowed me to watch. I didn’t need attention or to have people consider my opinion important. I knew who I was, and I had plenty of respect. I let my actions speak more than words.
While I’d noticed Kit on the flight over, one of the few others in first class, I hadn’t really taken her in. Until now. She came alive when Juno got her talking about a design she was working on. It lit up her eyes and made her talk faster, the passion for her work clear.
“There’s going to be a lot of people at the wedding who will be interested in working with you,” Alma said, and from the work Kit was describing, I didn’t disagree. Even I would have considered a project with her at that moment.
As soon as I thought about it, I caught hold of the suggestion and pushed it aside. I couldn’t make the mistakes I’d made in the past all over again.
Despite these thoughts, I remained hanging back until someone declared we should figure out food, and everyone started making takeout suggestions.
“Don’t you have connections with that great pizza place over on the island?” Jack asked, looking my way.
“Yeah, they’ll bring it to us if we want.” I grinned. I may not need to flex my muscles, but Jack knew every guy who was some kind of leader liked to do so when called on.
The enthusiasm was immediate—from everyone but Kit and Juno. They were the least likely to understand what the joy was about, but neither of them objected. It was a small reminder that neither of them were used to this world. They hadn’t grown up in the New York elite, and they also hadn’t been in it for long. In fact, I suspected it was Kit’s first time with a lot of the people who were around Jack.
I was quick to get an order in, and I made sure there would be plenty of food, willingly footing the bill to make sure it would be here fast and as a priority. It didn’t take a lot to make it happen, and I earned far more than it cost, something I always took into consideration when making a decision.
If it cost me less than I made an hour to pay someone else to handle something for me or give me something I needed or wanted, then I wasn’t going to think twice about spending the money. Especially when I spent most of my time making myself more money. With each week of work that passed, I added more revenue to my portfolio.
In a lot of ways, it had become meaningless numbers. In others, it was the simple ability to use money to make money. I might have gotten where I was now with hard work, and I had worked very hard at the beginning, but I wasn’t arrogant enough to think I only stayed where I was because of it.
Once a person reached a certain level of success, there was always another option to make money. Failures were considered anomalies. And I had reached that level and some on top. I worked hard, but I also knew I was safe.
Sometimes, I tried to imagine what it would be like to start in the current climate the way I had at the beginning. I knew it would be even harder. I would need a lot more luck. Still, I was surrounded by good people, all of whom were passionate about what they did and why, and that was something I valued more than anything else.
Being with Jack and his friends was easy.
The pizza arrived in less than an hour, and then it felt like the party really started. Juno and Kit both declared they had no idea pizza could be so good, especially takeout. Of course, I knew these guys had a special van that would have kept the pizza at the perfect temperature the whole way here.
Science had come a long way. The place I used prided themselves in being able to deliver decent pizza, as good as you could eat in their restaurant.
And I appreciated that on long work days. To me, there wasn’t much better than good food cooked well as a luxury, and I felt a thrill of pride at the satisfaction as everyone dug in.
Of course, Jack tried to insist on paying for it and handed me some cash, but I waved him off and changed the subject. Before long, it was forgotten again.
“What time are we going to the island tomorrow?” Alma asked as soon as everyone had finished eating. I let her take my plate as we all looked at Jack.
He shrugged, and Juno immediately let out a chuckle and reached for her phone.
“The cars are leaving here at eleven in the morning,” she said as she read off the details. “That takes us to the airport. We’re meeting a few more wedding guests there, and then we’ve got two planes and several boats to get us there. We’ll mostly be together for the journey, although obviously in separate cars.”
Kit gulped, something most didn’t notice, almost as if she hadn’t been expecting all this.
“I thought we were leaving at ten,” Jack replied when everyone else simply nodded and took the information in.
“I told you ten, so there was a chance you’d be ready by eleven,” Juno shot right back, much to everyone’s amusement. Immediately, Kai told a story about how Jack was two hours late to a show once and then got lost on the way into the stadium, too. He’d had to be let in the public entrance through a horde of screaming fans.
I settled back and listened, content and amused. I hated being late and didn’t understand how Jack could be. The very thought gave me anxiety, but it seemed Juno had found her own way around it, and Jack didn’t mind.
CHAPTER FOUR
Kit
I shivered as I waited on the tarmac for the plane to be ready. Our cars had driven us here, and without thinking, all of us had gotten out and stood around waiting. Because we were heading to the island and hadn’t planned to be outside much, no one had warm clothes that weren’t packed already.
On top of that, I was feeling the tiredness from so much traveling. And I didn’t think I was the only one. Jack and Juno had been the only two already in New York at the start of the previous day, and Lukas had flown in with me. I was still trying to figure him out.
Thankfully, it wasn’t much longer before the plane was ready and they let us get on. Because all the cars had arrived and we had been checked through border control and everything else we needed, there was nothing left to do but board. Our luggage was already being loaded into the hold.
I’d clocked that I had one of the smallest suitcases and that Juno and Lukas were the closest to me. I tried not to worry about standing out in this way, and to my relief, no one else drew any attention to it. Juno had warned me that there were some differences between the way these people lived life and the way we usually did, but I was noticing them a lot.
She’d dealt with them all already. I knew that much. However, knowing they were there and normal and that it wouldn’t make me any less accepted by Jack’s friends and feeling like I was fitting in with them regardless were two very different things.
I followed Juno onto the plane, still sticking close to her. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to mind that I was becoming her shadow. She’d even invited me into the apartment with her and Jack that morning for breakfast. Alma and Kit had been there as well for a brief moment, and Alma had once again made me feel welcome in the group.
It was a smaller plane than I’d have expected, but the inside was luxurious, with big chairs available on either side of an aisle. While I’d traveled on a commercial plane many times, I had never been on a private plane or one so small that it only accommodated the flight crew and about fifteen passengers.
I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but it was not bedrooms at the back, even if not enough for everyone, and big TVs to watch, as well as a bar and some kitchen appliances. It blew my mind, and I drank it all in before I realized I must look like an idiot. This was clearly normal for them. Jack and the band were already claiming seats.
He suggested that Juno take the only spare seat next to him, giving me little choice but to head to one of the two behind her. As much as I wanted her company, I wasn’t about to insist she sit with me and not with her partner at a time like this. Only as I sat down and noticed everyone else in this group was in couples and sitting with their partners did I realize who would be forced to sit next to me.
Lukas was not only the person most likely to choose the seat beside me, but he was also the last one to come onto the plane, a phone glued to his ear.
“I’m sure it is important, Daniel. And I know how quickly it needs to be resolved, but I’m about to fly. You’ve given me all the details I need. I’ll see what I can do and get back to you as soon as I can.” Lukas’ voice carried through the plane, but everyone ignored him.
He was hanging up and moving on autopilot to the only obviously vacant seat, still fixated on his phone and sighing with what sounded like frustration. When he sat and ended the call, he took in more of what was around him and finally acknowledged that I would be beside him on the flight.
“Oh, hi,” he said as his eyes widened.
I couldn’t read his exact expression as he looked at me, but my brain wanted to tell me it was fear and disappointment. Or something similar, at least. He hadn’t wanted to sit next to me. He swept his gaze over the rest of the seating arrangements without waiting for me to reply.
As I had done, it appeared he was figuring out that all the other seats were taken—and by couples. It was almost as if someone had wanted us to sit next to each other and planned for it.
“So…how long have you known Juno?” he asked me, smiling at me for the first time since we’d met. It lit up his face, and for a second, I couldn’t speak or even process the question. How had this guy gone from appearing put out that he had to sit next to me, to happy to talk to me?
He waited patiently for the answer like I was trying to work it out, not staring gormlessly at him.
“About twelve years at this point. She was married to my roommate’s brother. We got along with each other immediately.”
“Jack said she was married to a nasty piece of work.”
I nodded, not sure what to add to that. It seemed he didn’t either because there was an awkward silence for several seconds. Or at least I thought it was awkward. Lukas looked at his phone, and I tried to take a stab at making conversation.
“Sounds like someone needed your help. Do you need to do some work or look at something for them?” The question tumbled out of my mouth and gave him every reason not to talk to me now if he wanted to. Given how hot he was and how nervous I was, I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.
He glanced at me before looking at his phone screen and letting out another frustrated sigh. As he ran a hand through his hair, he turned to me.
“Daniel is a good friend of mine. I went to school with him. Quarterback now, and he’s worked real hard to get where he is. I respect him a lot. But his body won’t hold under that kind of pressure forever, and I agreed to help him make some good investments with some of his earnings.”
“That’s very kind of you,” I said, meaning it.
He shrugged. “It’s what any friend would do if they could.”
I shook my head, not sure that was true, but it made me like the guy all the more. Juno had said that Jack had a good heart. Maybe all the people around him did as well.
Lukas opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but shut it again and fell silent instead. I considered encouraging him to say whatever it would have been, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak either. This was a strange conversation, and I didn’t know if we had anything in common.
I tried to rack my brains for something to help the conversation, but I wasn’t sure. In my mind, it had always been etiquette that if two people needed to converse for a while, you took turns trying to think of a topic, which made it his turn. I also knew I’d prefer some kind of conversation to complete silence, especially considering all the other people on the plane were deep in conversation with their partners.
And we weren’t even in the air yet. This would be a long flight if we couldn’t find common ground somewhere.
CHAPTER FIVE
An hour into the flight, I’d tried to think of several different things to say to Lukas and was really struggling. Every time, it fizzled out after a little while. We had talked about how long he had known Jack, if either of us had been to the island before, and many other things.
The only consolation we had was that the flight wouldn’t be much longer, and then we’d be on boats for a little while and finally on the island. I got the impression that Lukas was used to conversations with people in business with him who could talk about money and not as much about creativity.
“Oh, Juno said you paid for dinner last night. Thank you,” I said when I was thinking about how much easier it had felt to converse the night before. I could only hope that spending time on the island later would be easier again.
“You’re welcome. It’s my favorite pizza place, and… Anything for Jack.”
I nodded, not sure what else to say, and Lukas looked away again. When he glanced back my way, I tried to read his expression, and again, I couldn’t seem to. What did he want from me?
So far, Lukas hadn’t exactly been rude or anything but kind in his responses. I had no reason to be annoyed at him or irritated. And everything he’d told me about himself so far was nothing to be worried about. I liked him for a lot of reasons.
But he steered away from the real things I wanted to talk about, such as his work. At least, that’s how it appeared.
I’d heard from Juno that he was an architect and a very famous one at that. Jack knew him from commissioning something in the past and respected Lukas as a person. Juno had mentioned that we should talk to each other about work, but it seemed like he didn’t want to.
I thought back over everything I had said the night before. Had I put him off somehow? Had I made my work sound bad or something? When I realized I had no way to figure it out and it could have been anything, I sighed.
“You okay?” he asked. “Ready to be off the plane? It’s been a lot of travel for both of us. I don’t know about you, but the long flight from the UK to the US is rough, and then more travel after just takes it out of me. Makes it hard to think, hard to have the energy to be creative. You know?”
“Entirely.” I smiled and nodded, finally feeling like we’d related in some way. “I tried to do some designs for a living room suite and this cute little dining area, but…it’s so hard to think on a flight that busy.”
“And the kids who were crying in the section behind us. I don’t know how parents travel with them and don’t murder them along the way.”
“You don’t have kids?” I asked, picking up on it and assuming he didn’t want them from the statement.
He shook his head. “I think I’d have liked them, but so far, I haven’t found the sort of person I’d have them with. It’s a lot of commitment, and I don’t want to do a bad job.”
“I feel the same. I haven’t yet found the right person to make me think kids would be a good idea. But I’m also okay with not having them if there’s never the right moment. I’d rather enjoy life and make the most of things than settle.”
